


Heart of Stone

by Tarlan



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag, M/M, Masturbation, Merry Month of Masturbation Challenge, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-12
Updated: 2013-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-11 16:44:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/800893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of the day, Rick was exhausted but too tense to sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart of Stone

**Author's Note:**

> Tag for season finale: 3.16 Welcome to the Tombs  
> Written for: **mmom** 2013 - Day 12

All that was left of the town was a bus full of those the Governor had considered too old, too young, or too infirm to hold a gun. He'd killed almost everyone else in some cold psychotic breakdown. Just casually blown them away from what the lone survivor, Karen, had told them. Just ordinary people though, believing the pack of lies spewed by the Governor and now either dead, undead or abandoned.

There weren't enough of them to defend the town so he brought them all back to the prison. Over the next week or so he and the others would head back into Woodbury to pick up what supplies they could, before it was overrun with walkers. Rick could tell Carl wasn't so happy with the way things had turned out, and that was partially his fault. He'd forgotten about compassion for a time, and looking back he felt the heavy weight of guilt from some of the heartless things he'd done. Like that man all alone out there with the backpack, who'd desperately tried to reach them.

Rick had figured that if he'd survived on his own that long already then he wasn't their problem. He hadn't even felt a twinge of guilt when they came across him being eaten on their way back. Just grabbed his backpack in case it had anything of worth inside. It was that same callous, stone-hearted attitude that he had witnessed with Carl; seeing everyone outside the group as not their problem, or too great a risk to give even a shadow of doubt.

The whole world had turned to hell and it seemed to Rick as if his child's innocence had gone down with it.

Rick could see by the looks on their faces that these towns people had been led to believe there was an army of marauders and cutthroats hanging out at the prison. Instead they found ordinary people just like them - an old man with half a leg missing, a newborn, a few women and men. All of them just trying to scratch out a life amid the horrors of the world.

As he looked around at the familiar faces that had traveled the road with him over these past few years, Rick thought of where they'd all started, where they'd been, and the horrors that they'd seen, and he wondered where they'd all end up. Hopefully, they'd be able to stay here a while. If they could shore up the defenses - fix the fences, push the walkers back out of that big field - then maybe they could start a vegetable garden or something. Start growing some food like in Woodbury, as what was left in the stores wasn't going to last forever.

Tired beyond belief, he half staggered into the cell block towards the cell he had commandeered for himself on that first day here, and sank down onto the hard mattress. It was still better than sleeping on the ground. The block quieted quickly as night fell, with just the murmur of voices echoing. He heard a soft wail and realized it was his daughter's cry. One of the reasons why he'd decided they had no choice but to stay here and fight was because they couldn't risk having a young one on the road with them, worried the baby's cry would bring the walkers. In here, the thick walls of the cell block would muffle the sound.

He pushed back to his feet and headed out his cell to check on Judith, and found Daryl rocking her back and forth while feeding her a bottle. Carol, Beth, and one of the new arrivals - another woman - was watching Daryl, smiling. Rick shook his head, wondering why men with babies was such a hit with women. Daryl caught his eye, smile tilting his lips as he rolled his eyes towards his small audience.

"I got this," he mouthed to Rick, and Rick nodded his thanks.

Returning to his cell, he pulled the makeshift curtain over the doorway for privacy and sank back down onto his bunk.

For the first time in months, he felt a little peace steal over him even though he knew it was just the calm between storms, or the eye of a hurricane. The Governor was still out there, and that sort of madness never moved on. It was likely that he wouldn't leave them be until he was dead - or they were dead. Rick knew which he preferred. But for now they had a small respite, and in the aftermath of this fight with the Governor, some of the all-consuming grief seemed to have lifted from his shoulders.

His body was still coiled tight though; from the fight, from losing Andrea, from dealing with the pain and fear of those abandoned by the Governor. All his police training had come to the fore today, and reminded him of a duty he'd sworn all those years ago - to uphold the law and protect the innocent. Wasn't much law around now except for the law of survival, but there was still innocent people needing his protection.

Maybe he'd find a way to teach that to Carl.

He pushed all those thoughts aside, knowing there was a sure-fire way to ease his body into a decent night's sleep. His tired fingers fumbled with the fastenings but he pulled his cock free and gave it a few gentle tugs. At first he wondered if he was too tired even for this but his body seemed willing enough after a few more strokes. Rick closed his eyes and pictured Lori's face, only to feel his cock start to soften. There was still too much pain, guilt and sorrow attached to her memory, even though he no longer saw her ghost watching him. He found it hard to picture anyone from the past though, even a favorite actress from a TV show that he loved watching. When he thought of anyone beyond this small group, he saw their features decay, their bodies broken and damaged. He saw walkers.

He shied away from thinking about the women in their small group and instead, he wondered what Daryl fantasized about. Thoughts of the other man stirred his cock back to life, shocking him a little but not enough to care that he'd never looked at a man that way before this zombie apocalypse. It was what he needed right now though, so he focused on those strong arms holding a baby, on a soft smile offering love and protection. It didn't take more than dozen strokes before he was coming. It wasn't an earth-shattering climax, but it was what he needed, and that was enough. He cleaned up with a scrap of an old towel, and pulled the blanket up over him.

His eyes closed to the soft murmur of voices drifting in from the cell block beyond.

Safe for one more night.

END


End file.
